Weekly Urban News Update
In This Update

IHC Global has been at the World Bank Land Conference this week, and has attended panels discussing everything from land governance to slum upgrading to using geospatial data. Ahead of the conference, IHC Global supported our partner, Habitat for Humanity International's Solid Ground Campaign, in their Peer Learning Exchange on Land. The two-day exchange featured presentations from Cloudburst, UN-Habitat, the IDB, Landesa, USAID, Habitat for Humanity International and more. Participants discussed the dynamics of the deep relationships between people and land all over the world, how to achieve equal access to land tenure and security with respect to these relationships, and the proper tools that need to be created to achieve the different challenges that each situation presents.

Immediately following the conference, IHC Global members IRPF, HFHI/Solid Ground Campaign, and Landesa joined CIPE and FIABCI USA on a panel to consider tools and diagnostics with respect to property rights and sustainable urbanization. As one of IHC Global's core issue clusters (land, tenure and property rights) these are fundamental to the achievement of Global Goal 11 and in the coming months we will be exploring the policy incentives and data necessary to drive better application of the tools and technologies in support of more equitable city development. 

Follow our experiences at the conference on our twitter, and look out for a full breakdown of our time there on our blog in the upcoming weeks!
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FY 2017 budget cuts will result in "big impact for cities"
 

The foreign aid budget cuts that have been proposed by the U.S. presidential administration have been questioned by several prominent organizations and figures (including IHC Global), with the argument that reducing U.S. foreign assistance would have a negative effect on the U.S.'s relationship with its allies and numerous global programs in sustainability, security and democratic progress.

Much of the foreign assistance attention has been put on the fate of rural areas, but cities, both globally and domestically, are very much at risk from the impact that the budget cuts may have. ICLEI USA Executive Director Angie Fyfe gave an incomplete list of things that the budget would make worse in American cities to Citiscope, including "Air quality, morning commutes, water pollution in rivers and lakes, insurance against floods and other climate-adverse events, energy efficiency of our appliances, therefore energy independence, wildlife refuge, public and affordable housing." It is unclear what effect the potential budget may have on international urban development, but given the importance of U.S. involvement in several global initiatives- including the Paris Climate Agreement- the urban impact could be devastating. IHC Global continues to advocate for equitable investment in urban areas to realize economic growth potential, create jobs and support underlying stability and security both in the US and abroad.

Read the full Citiscope article here.

In a new episode of the Centre for Cities podcast, host Andrew Carter ponders how to achieve inclusive growth in cities across the United Kingdom and the world. The episode features Carter's Centre for Cities colleagues, Chief Executive Alexandra Jones and Policy and Research Manager Naomi Clayton, as well as the Head of Policy at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Katie Schmuecker and LSE Assistant Professor of Economic Geography Dr. Neil Lee. Carter and the panelists discuss what inclusive growth actually means, if it can be achieved, and if it is actually wanted.

Listen to the full podcast here.

The Canadian Real Estate Association is having its Annual General Meeting next week. The meeting will have an exposition hall with the CREA's various programs and initiatives. As CREA is an original founder of IHC Global, we will be featured in the exposition by IHC Global Board member Calvin Lindberg.

When: (AGM)  Monday, March 27th, 7 AM - 4 PM
(T-3 Summit) Tuesday, March 28th, 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Where: Westin Ottawa Hotel
11 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1N 9H4

For more information, please email Chris Ferrante here.
FeatureIHC Global Urban Feature: Water and Sanitation
WASH works, so what are we waiting for?

In honor of World Water Day, IHC Global is focusing water and sanitation as our Urban Feature this week. Many of this year's World Water Day campaigns rallied in support for WASH, a handy acronym for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Water, sanitation and hygiene, though separate and important issues in and of themselves, each is intrinsically dependent on the success of the other. Programs that target improving water, sanitation and hygiene have proven successful and the movement's popularity is encouraging, and yet according to IntraHealth International, 40% of health professionals around the world do not properly wash their hands, and lack of proper WASH facilities has led to countless unnecessary deaths- especially of postpartum women and infants. These devastating issues are almost easily fixable; many of these facilities could have proper WASH, but the commitment from local and national government to provide services is lackluster if there at all. In an article for VITAL, Dr. Marjorie Makakula of the School of Medicine of the University of Zambia goes through the ways we should look at creating, implementing, and enforcing WASH interventions. For IHC Global, the "we" should not just be local and national government, but community members, civil society organizations and the private sector as well.

Read the full article here.

*Introducing the IHC Global Urban Feature
Along with the roundup of each week's happenings in the urban world, we will be featuring an article that focuses on one of our key policy topics for equitable urban development: urban water and sanitation; resilience, climate adaptation and the urban poor; migration and its implications; housing as a driver of equitable development; gender, secure tenure and property rights; and urban food security. To learn more about our Key Policy Topics, click here
NewsIn the news and around the web
  • Renters now rule half of U.S. cities. Find out why here.
  • Read a different perspective of the recent terrorist attack in London here.
  • Discover Yiwu, China's "testing ground" for a multicultural city, here.
In case you missed it:
  • Save the date: the Urban Thinkers Campus event, Making Cities Together: The City We Need through Safe, Inclusive and Accessible Public Spaces, will be in Nairobi, Kenya from May 3rd to 4th. Find out more here

With urbanization comes blending cultures: The crowded streets outside of the Mosque in Yiwu, China's "testing ground" for a multicultural city.
Source: Guardian Cities
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